There is a first time for everything

So let me just start off by saying that contrary to what some of you may believe, I’m not that outgoing. I may seem like the outgoing type when I’m around my family and friends or anyone that I know, but when it comes to strangers, I’m actually pretty shy. This being said, last Friday night I did something for the first time that I never really thought I would do. I went out by myself. Now, I of course have done things alone since I’ve been here, but not actually “go out” as in bar hopping. Every Friday night I usually go to Happy Hour with my Tio and friends, but this particular Friday was different. My Tio was exhausted from working all day and didn’t really feel like going out so I took that opportunity to try something new. I could have still went to HH with all the “regulars” (My Tio’s friends, who are now my friends too), but I decided to google a few local bars near Stuy Town and try them out for three reasons: 1) I felt like just walking and exploring the night life near the apartment. 2) The LES (lower east side) is a hip, trendy area where the young crowd hangs out so I figured I could meet some fun people my age and 3) I was sort of in the mood to “step out of my box.” I don’t know why, but I just felt like testing my limits and getting outside my comfort zone. Well, that was my initial attitude anyway. As I was listening to music and getting ready, I kind of got nervous. I was starting to rethink going out to a bar on a Friday night in NYC by myself! When I put it like that to myself and said it out loud to my best friend Val (I called her for support, lol) it seemed a bit weird, maybe even crazy! Was I really about to get all dolled up just to go out by myself? That’s something I have never done before, and the fact that I was doing it here in New York just made it that much more intimidating. Inevitably, the answer was YES, and when the time came to actually leave the apartment, I almost didn’t go. I just kept thinking, what am I supposed to do, go to a bar, order a beer, and then what? What if no one came up to talk to me? How awkward would I feel sitting by myself? I came up with all sorts of questions/scenarios, so to calm my nerves I drank a glass of wine before heading out the door. I know it seems silly to get all worked up and nervous about it, but how many of you can say that you have went out on a Friday or Saturday night by yourself, and not to meet up with someone or to meet a group of friends? I bet not many of you can say that!

Anyhow, to make a long story really short (yeah right, this is ME we’re talking about, lol) it ended up being a good night, interesting and odd, but good! There are SO many bars within a couple of blocks of Stuy Town so I just hopped from one to the next meeting some nice people along the way. I ended up spending the majority of my time in 2 locations, Common Ground and BOA (Bar on Ave A). Common Ground was a really relaxed place with lots of lounge areas and tables to just kick back and hang out, nothing too crazy. I sat at the bar and watched some NBA basketball until a group of girls about my age came and sat down next to me. We began chatting and about an hour later, I felt like I knew a lot about them, lol, you know how girls are! The other bar, BOA, was super fun! Every Friday is either 80s or 90s night and when I was there it was the best of the 90s. When I first arrived, I met a group of girls who were visiting the city for Spring Break and they were so fun! Needless to say, I sang and danced to Salt N Peppa, TLC, Will Smith, etc. until about 3:30 in the morning! A few odd things happened, I won’t go into detail, but overall, it was a good night and a great experience! Now, was it so good that I’ll do it all the time, absolutely not, lol. How many people really want to go out all by themselves all the time!? I am glad I did it as it was a good experience, but some “firsts” are not necessarily supposed to be more than just that, a first (and possibly never again, who knows?) I do have to admit, I’m pretty proud of myself for doing something I wasn’t necessarily comfortable doing. I think everyone should do that from time to time!

Speaking of “firsts” Saturday night was the first time I ate Puerto Rican cuisine. A couple of weeks ago when I went to Brooklyn (I blogged about this) I met a friend of my Tio’s named Carlos who is Puerto Rican. Somehow we got on the topic of food and I mentioned I had never had anything authentically Puerto Rican. He couldn’t believe it and so we planned a Saturday night dinner in Tribeca at Sazón, New York’s Finest Puerto Rican Restaurant. And NO, that is NOT just an advertisement (that’s what their website says), it is TOTALLY true. I am obviously biased because I haven’t had any other PR food, but this was amazing! It wasn’t just the food, it was the whole package. Everything about Sazón was awesome: the atmosphere, the musicá latiná (just listen to the great rhythms on the homepage of the website), the service (very attractive latinos), the cocktails (coconut, pineapple, and banana flavored foofoo drinks made you feel like you were ready to hit the beach) and definitely the food. Let's just say you got what you paid for, and more, the portion sizes were HUGE! My Tio, Carlos and I made the mistake of ordering an appetizer sampler (we wanted to try a little bit of everything) and then each ordering a meal. By the time we ate the appetizer and had a few drinks we were full, and then our food came and you should see the size of these plates. No really, look. I posted pictures below!!

Appetizer Sampler

Pernil - Roast Pork with Pigeon Pea Rice and Sweet Plantains

It was insane how much food was on one plate. We each took a couple of bites and then had it bagged up to go.

Side Note: After leaving the restaurant, we all felt the need to do a little walking (we were stuffed) so we walked from Tribeca to SOHO which is only about 30 minutes, but when you’re in heels, it feels like a lifetime! At first it wasn’t so bad, but then I felt like I was walking on needles! I know they say pain is beauty, but no look is worth that kind of pain. When I got home I took off my heels and cursed the Italians (I bought them in Rome when I was studying abroad) as my Tio just laughed at what “us women” go through. I just want to take this moment to recognize all my sistas who rock heels, you are tough cookies! :)

I woke up on Sunday, feet still aching and all, and got ready to experience YES INDEED, another FIRST. My first NYC BBQ! Some friends of my Tio’s own an apartment with a garden in the back and heard the weather was supposed to reach 60 degrees so they decided to invite about 8 friends over for a good ol’ barbeque. We got ready (needless to say I wore flats!) and headed to Brooklyn for an afternoon in the sun. It was great conversation, great wine, and great food! Considering I’m a Kansas girl, I always appreciate good BBQ, only it made me wish I was with my family in the backyard grilling out…I MISS you guys! Eventually the sun went down and we left BK and headed back to the city for a birthday celebration. We were in high demand last weekend, lol! A friend of ours turned 29 so we joined her and others for dinner and drinks in Korea Town at a sushi bar called Ichi Umi. We were still full from lunch so we just had a few drinks and called it a night.

With such an eventful weekend, we were exhausted and spent Monday laying low. We made dinner, uncorked a bottle of wine, and watched a movie. I saw Garden State for the first time (are you starting to understand the title of this post yet!? LOL) and really enjoyed it. It’s a romantic drama that’s a bit different than the rest, which is precisely why I liked it!

On Tuesday I grabbed lunch at Chipotle (it’s like Starbucks, they are everywhere!) and then walked to Times Square just because. I have been to Times Square before when I visited NY on Spring Break my sophomore year of college so it wasn’t a first, but still noteworthy so I thought I’d include it in this week’s post! :) It was different this time though. Before, I went at night to see all the lights and take pictures and this time I went during the day to just walk around and hang out (although I did take some pics, see below). Currently, there is a pilot program going on in which the streets are actually blocked off and tables and chairs are in the middle of the street. Sounds weird, but it’s actually really cool. If traffic isn’t too terrible and the pilot program works out then they will create permanent seating in Times Square. I took advantage and grabbed a coffee and sat in the middle of TS for about an hour just enjoying the scenery and catching up with friends via phone calls.





I don’t know if it has to do with the fact that I was out and about with thousands of people yesterday (YES, TS is ALWAYS packed, tourists come all seasons of the year believe it or not), but I woke up today not feeling well with a stuffy nose and a sore throat! I took some cold medicine, made myself soup for lunch and am hoping it passes quickly not only because I don’t want to be sick, but because I start my job on Monday! I’m so excited and will most definitely post about how my first days go so stay tuned.

Closing thought: I hope you all enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it! :)

A Month Already

Can you believe it has already been a whole month since I left Kansas City!? I know it’s totally cliché, but man, time flies! It seems as if just yesterday I was packing my bags and saying good bye. I honestly can’t believe a month has already gone by, especially because so much has happened in such a short period of time!

Everyone reading this blog who knows me at all knows that I love to write, I’m a Journalism graduate after all. This blog serves as a way to keep in touch yes, but it also allows me to “journal” my life, my thoughts, etc. With that said, I thought I’d document some of the things that have happened over the past 4 weeks.

I have been introduced to some really great people. My Tio has some awesome friends who I’ve had the privilege to get to know better. Every time we hang out, which is at least once a week, they are all so happy to see me and greet me with a hug and kiss. It seems minuscule, but it really means a lot to me considering they are my only “family” in this city. Most of them are quite a bit older than me, which is beneficial because they have experienced many more life lessons/NYC lessons and are always happy to share. However, since I’ve been here I’ve been hoping to meet some more people my age. Luckily, I did so last Saturday when hanging out in Brooklyn. After My Tio and I ate dinner with some friends, we all went out to a local bar with a younger crowd. A few numbers were exchanged and hopefully some friendships will develop. I’m also super excited to start my job because a lot of young and seemingly friendly people work at Patch, which is a great recipe for making friends.

Dinner & Margaritas at Arriba Arriba (A really GREAT Mexican Restaurant in NYC)

I really feel like this apartment is becoming part mine. For the first couple of weeks I felt like a guest, which is only natural because I was living out of a suitcase. After some time passed and the vacation feeling went away I became more comfortable living here, rather than visiting or just staying here. Once all of my things were organized and put away it became more real. It is starting to become routine to wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, etc. like it’s my own place. I know that sounds silly, but before it felt like I was just visiting and now when I do those little daily activities, I feel like I would in my own bedroom/bathroom in Kansas. Put simply, it’s starting to feel like home.

Contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers don’t always eat out or have food delivered (like you see in movies). I have cooked more since I’ve been here than ever before. We go out to eat about once a week and every other night we cook dinner. I actually am really starting to enjoy it. It’s kind of fun to plan dinners and try making different things. It’s sort of rewarding when we sit down to eat a delicious meal that we prepared ourselves. Now, don’t get me wrong, we don’t cook huge elaborate meals that take hours, just simple things, but it’s cooking nevertheless! Nightly dinners & glasses of wine are becoming one of my favorite things about living here!

I haven’t watched too much TV since I’ve been here, usually it’s movies, with the exception of the Bachelor.

Tangent: I was addicted all season, sad, but true! Although after another disappointment in the last person standing, I might remove the nonsense from my life because I get really pissed off. I don’t know why, it’s not like it directly affects my life. Oh, ok, who am I kidding? We all know I will be in front of the TV when next season starts in May. It is crazy women like me that keep the show’s ratings up and the show on the air. Sorry!

I do try to catch KU games when I can. I have been pretty successful considering KU has maintained a high ranking all season and games are broadcast on ESPN, however, there have been a few that are not aired in NYC and it’s really upsetting to not be able to cheer on my Jayhawks. On a good note, they obviously don’t need me to cheer them on as they do just fine without me. Actually, WAY more than fine, they ROCK! Big 12 Champs AGAIN, whoop whoop! I’m so proud. I can’t wait for the tournament…National Champions anyone!?

There have been two big snow storms since I’ve been in the city and two official snow days in which schools and some businesses closed. (First time in years NYC has had two snow days in one winter season!) During the first snow storm we didn’t really get out because it was cold and wet, but this last snow storm we decided to take advantage of Mother Nature. We bundled up Perkins and Elvis and took them for a walk/trudge in the snow. P loves it, E not so much. We both took some really great pictures of the snow, it was really pretty! By last Sunday most of the snow had been plowed or had melted and we headed to Central Park! I was super excited because before I moved here I had visited 3 different times and did all the touristy things except for CP. My Tio told me that we would need lots of energy to take a stroll through Central Park so he made us a nice big breakfast (eggs, ham, fruit, and croissants, it was delicious!) and boy was he right! I knew CP was big, but I didn’t realize just how huge. We entered the park right in front of the Plaza Hotel from Home Alone, which is actually luxury condos now, and walked for a couple of hours before stopping at The Boathouse for lunch. The Boathouse is a well-known restaurant in CP and is in a lot of movies like When Harry Met Sally. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the park and seeing “famous” spots. The whole time I kept saying, “Oh, that’s the fountain from Hitch.” “Oh, that’s from Home Alone.” “Oh, that’s from One Fine Day.” After walking about ¼ of the park, we decided to call it a day. BTW-That’s an indication of just how big CP is, we walked for a couple of hours and didn’t even get through half of it. I was exhausted, but it was a great Sunday!

Central Park's famous Bethesda Fountain

Great view of the city from CP

Alright, this post is getting a little lengthy; I think it’s about time to wrap it up! I’ll leave you with one final “story.” I went to get my hair cut on Thursday at a Salon on the Lower East Side (the “cool” people call it The L-E-S) and afterward I was walking, shopping, exploring, etc. and I sort of paused for a moment and thought, “Is this really my life right now!?” I smiled and continued walking thinking, “Absolutely it is, and I love it!!”

Side Note: Haircuts in NYC are ridiculously expensive, like $75 on up for JUST a haircut! I spent over an hour researching salons in the area before I found one that was affordable. The stylist was fantastic, she washed, cut, and blow dried my hair straight all in an hour!

1st NYC haircut a success! (Yes, I know...I look my sisters, or so I've been told!!!)

I got the job = change in plans

It’s official, I am no longer unemployed! I received an offer from Patch Media Corporation Thursday and accepted on Friday! They were thrilled to hear I would be joining the team and I couldn’t be more excited to start my first “real” job post-graduation, especially in NYC. I was so happy to accept Patch’s offer for so many different reasons, including some of the following:

1. It is a great company with so much promise. Since being bought by AOL about 8 months ago it has grown rapidly and I’m excited to contribute to its up and coming success. For those of you I haven’t talked to about Patch, it is a new and innovative way to find out what’s going on near you. It’s a news and information platform dedicated to providing local coverage for individual towns and communities. Its platform provides information in multiple areas including news, businesses, events, sports, schools, directory, restaurants, local facts, volunteers, arts and entertainment, athletics and recreation, education, government, health, nightlife, shopping and travel. Simply put, it is online media and one of the reasons print journalism is slowly going under. With environmental concerns and the advancement in digital technology, print papers are decreasing and could possibly become obsolete one day. With that said, it’s nice to join a company that operates a news and information platform entirely online.

2. The position description fits me so well! Because Patch started out as a small independent company, there was no need for an Office Coordinator/Administrator, but with its recent growth, the need was there hence the creation of the position. Patch basically needs someone with exceptional organizational skills as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills to come in and help create structure and establish policies and procedures. With my knowledge of internet media trends and online journalism in conjunction with my office coordination experience, I am the perfect fit! In addition to helping with the development and maintenance of office procedures, I will be responsible for the coordination of all facility and equipment needs, purchasing and managing inventory, facilitating communication with employees, acting as the first point of contact for all AOL departments, callers and visitors, helping HR with on-boarding new employees, assisting the management team with expense reports and travel arrangements, coordinating office events, and assisting with marketing and promotional events. (Yes, I did indeed just give you my job description!)

3. Last, but not least, I get to stay in New York! When I originally came to NY my goal was to find a job and stay here a while. With it being such a big, competitive city, I didn’t really think there would be any good opportunities so I figured I would just waitress or something for a couple of months before applying for a teaching English abroad in Chile program. Little did I know I would get quite a few interviews in just the first 3 weeks. When Patch offered me the position, it was way too great of an opportunity to pass up. So yes, this means there has been a minor change in plans. Instead of living here short-term and then moving to Chile for a while, I will be making NYC my home a little more long-term than expected.

If those 3 reasons alone aren’t enough to convince you that this move was meant to be then maybe the recent earthquake in Chile will help. I woke up this morning only to hear terrible news about an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. As I was reading this article I couldn’t help but think, thank God I chose to take the job in NYC and hold off on Chile. Literally, I was thanking God! I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I’m thankful the man upstairs was watching over me and led me in a safe direction.

As I have mentioned before, I am VERY close to my family so although they were thrilled to hear my good news, I know it was bittersweet because this job would mean moving to NYC more permanently. Thankfully, I have the most amazing family in the world and they all were more than supportive of my decision to take the job. In fact, they all encouraged me to take it as they knew it was the right thing to do. Like my sister Drea mentioned in her blog, it was just meant to be! I admit, the thought of being away from my family, especially Jaxson, Audrina, and my soon-to-be nephew, makes me sad, but I know they will come visit me in NYC and I will go home for holidays and every other chance I get! :)

My start date at Patch is March 15. I plan on enjoying my last 2 weeks of freedom as I am about to enter the real world as a working women for the REST of my life, yikes! Here is to the start of my new job and new life as a New Yorker!

Jersey Shore!

Monday afternoon my Tio Marty and I drove up to Jersey (My Tio Martin’s boss and long time friend has a beach house located on the Jersey Shore). It was about an hour and 15 minute drive outside of the city so it was a fun little road trip in which many tunes were sung, or to put it more adequately, jammed to! We put the song “Empire State of Mind” on repeat on my iPod and seriously jammed out to it at least 6 times! Have I mentioned how much I love this song!? ;) We arrived in “Highlands” a neighborhood located in Monmouth, the northernmost county on the Jersey Shore. I’ve been to this beach house before, but very briefly almost 4 years ago so my memory of it was vague. I don’t know how that is possible after seeing it on Monday. It is fabulous! Once in the gate, there is a narrow driveway uphill that leads you to a very quaint and beautiful home. The entire front of the house is glass windows and French doors that allow you to constantly see the wonderful view of the shore line. Even in the Winter the water and scenery was amazing! The house is rather large with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, multiple sitting areas/TV rooms, and an awesome deck equipped with an area to barbeque and dine and of course, to top it all off, a hot tub. Talk about a summer beach house! ;) While my Tio watered the plants and did other “house-sitting” duties (his boss is on vacation so he’s been looking after the house) I explored and enjoyed the views. We also did laundry while we were there and watched some movies. It is such a quiet and tranquil place. I can’t quite explain it; just being there makes you more relaxed.

Side Note: If you’re wondering why we went all the way to Jersey to do laundry, there is a nice big washer and dryer at the house, which makes it easy to do large loads, especially bedding. Our apartment building has a laundry facility on the main floor, but considering it is a “community” laundry room, you might have to wait for other tenants to finish their load before you start yours, and the machines aren’t that big. So because of these reasons, every time a trip to Jersey is made, laundry goes too!

I woke up Tuesday with absolutely nothing on my calendar, which again is kind of nice, but is getting kind of awkward also. I am SO not used to having so much time on my hands! Even with small holiday breaks from school/work, I never had more than 3-4 weeks vacation. I have been in NYC for 2 weeks and although I’m enjoying waking up at whatever time I want and doing whatever I want, I am getting a little anxious about finding a job. I know I shouldn’t be. Every single one of you who is reading this and has been in the working world for a while is probably thinking that I am nuts, that I have the REST of my life to work so I should enjoy my time off. To all of you I say this; believe me, I AM enjoying my time off. However, I have always been a go-getter or a motivated individual so although not doing anything super important with my day is nice, it is also making me a little stir crazy. So to “cure” my craziness on Tuesday, I decided to clean/organize. When I arrived here, I didn’t really take the time to put everything in its rightful place (because there wasn’t one yet obviously); I just kind of lived out of my suitcase for a bit, and then eventually just put things wherever I put them for the time being. Considering I am a very organized person who has a “place” for everything, it was starting to drive me nuts. So, I spent all Tuesday afternoon cleaning and organizing the coat and linen closets at the apartment. I consolidated a lot of things and made everything much more organized, which created more space for my things. It not only took up some of my time, it gave me that feeling that I am here to stay. No more grabbing things out of my suitcase, now if I want to pick out an outfit, etc. I must go to “my” closet like any normal person. I was a little skeptical/timid about doing this when I first arrived because I didn’t feel like it was my place to reorganize things around the apartment considering it’s not mine. However, after being here 2 weeks and chatting with my Tio about how things could use some organization (his words, not mine), I took it upon myself to go for it, and I’m glad I did! I feel much better now (I’m a little OCD if you couldn’t tell) and he is grateful things are well-organized.

The other notable thing that happened on Tuesday was a phone call I received from the recruiter who I had a phone interview with last Thursday. She called to follow-up about a formal interview with the hiring manager at her company. I was very excited to receive this call because this is the one interview I had last week that I felt very good about and was more than interested in the opportunities available. I of course agreed to an interview Wednesday afternoon and it went great, so great that they asked me to come back on Thursday for a second round of interviews. Within 2 days I met with 3 VPs of the company and now it’s just a waiting game. I am hoping to hear something by Tuesday/Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Thursday after my interview we made another trip out to the beach house in Jersey. We stayed the night and spent a nice relaxing Friday there. Just in case you’re wondering, My Tio’s job is very flexible this time of year. It is the slow season so he doesn’t work 40 hours a week and is able to work from home a lot. Business picks back up in the Spring so you probably won’t be reading about us taking little road trips up to Jersey during the week. It will have to be weekends if anything because he’ll be working more regular hours and I will HOPEFULLY have a job that unfortunately won’t allow me to spend my afternoons relaxing at the beach house. Although if someone knows of a job/company who allows that, please do tell! ;)

We of course got back from Jersey in time to make it the end of Happy Hour, which was fun as always. Afterwards we went to eat dinner with some friends at a really good Chinese restaurant and followed that by going to an Irish pub until the wee hours of the morning. Overall, it was fun night!

Well I’ve spent most of today (Saturday) being lazy so it’s about time I go jump in the shower and get ready for dinner. My Tio’s friends invited us over for dinner tonight so we’re headed to Brooklyn here soon. Should be a good time! I hope you all enjoy the weekend! :)

Snow Storm to Val Day & Everything in Between!

I thought I escaped the snow when I left Kansas City, boy was I wrong! Last Saturday NY was expecting the snow storm Kansas got on Thursday/Friday, but only a few flurries fell and all was well…until Wednesday that is.

It all started on Tuesday when the news reported that we would get about a foot of snow on Wednesday. They were 99.9% sure because schools and businesses started closing on Tuesday evening, the first time this has happened in a long time (so I’ve been told). The big snow storm was the topic of conversation all day Tuesday. I know this because I had 2 interviews on Tuesday and the snow storm came up in both of them. (I am sure you want to know how they went, I’ll get into that in just a minute.)

Here is a little elevator conversation I had with a random lady on the way to my interview:
Lady: Are you ready? (With a scared yet eager attitude)
Me: Ready? Ready for what? (The tone of her voice made it sound like I should’ve replied with something like, hell yeah I’m ready!)
Lady: The big snow storm. They say we are going to get a lot.
Me: Oh, that. Yeah, I’m not too worried about it, I’m used to snow. I just moved here from Kansas City where we had a very snowy winter.
Lady: Really? Well good look. (She had a look on her face like Armageddon was coming)

At that point I had a pretty good feeling that we were going to get bombarded with snow, which is why on the way home from my interviews I stopped at the Walgreens up the street and picked up a few things knowing I wouldn’t want to get out on Wednesday.

Now let me back track a little bit…Tuesday morning I woke up, got ready for my interviews and left the apartment anxious and a bit nervous. It was the first time I was going to have to navigate the city on my own. Until then, my Tio Marty and I had gone everywhere together so I didn’t have to worry about directions, public transportation, etc. Like I said, I was nervous, but excited too. I walked to the closest intersection (20th St. & 1st Ave.) and hailed a cab. To my surprise, it didn’t take long to get a cab (sometimes it can take 5-10 minutes to see a cab with its light on, indicating it’s vacant). I got in, told him where I was headed and 15 minutes later I arrived at my first interview at Career Blazers, a hiring agency. I spoke with a recruiter about a few opportunities with various companies in NY, but considering she was a bit unpleasant, I knew I didn’t want to work with that agency. I left feeling a bit disappointed, but optimistic that my second interview would go better, and I was right. I had about an hour between interviews and the buildings were only about 8 blocks apart so I decided to grab some lunch. I walked down 5th Avenue and spotted a McDonalds so I went in and ate lunch alone. The reason I mention this is because I have never eaten alone. In fact, every time I see someone eating alone I feel bad for them. To my surprise, almost everyone in McDonalds was eating alone. It was 1:00pm and you could tell by the business attire that most of the people were grabbing a bite on their lunch break. It made me feel a whole lot better knowing that eating alone is pretty normal around lunch time. It also made me realize how many "firsts" I am going to have here, which is great because like my blog title says, "...moved to New York in pursuit of new experiences!"

As soon as I finished my snack wraps I headed to my second interview. It went really well and I’m waiting to hear some more details on potential employment. I left feeling pretty optimistic and in a good mood so I decided to walk home. I was in Midtown and I live on the Lower East Side so it was a decently far walk, but again, I was feeling energetic and it was a great opportunity to see more of the city. I walked down 5th Avenue for a while, which was so surreal considering 5th Ave. is so famous. I walked past the NY Public Library (the one Carrie Bradshaw is supposed to get married at in Sex in the City) and briefly stopped to enjoy my surroundings. I then carried on and made it back to Sty Town. I was proud of myself for navigating the city on my own without any problems at all and even more proud that I walked, lord knows I could use the exercise! ;)

So like I said, I (and my Tio Marty) ran all of our errands Tuesday evening because we knew Wednesday would be a snowy mess, and indeed it was. We woke up Wednesday to a very white, windy and pretty New York. Obviously NYC is a big busy city so to see it so empty was bizarre. Schools and jobs were closed so of course everyone took advantage of it and went to parks to ski, sled, build snowmen, and have snow ball fights. Right outside my window there were about 15 dogs and their owners playing in the snow, it was so cute. I was watching the news with coverage of Central Park and the amount of people out enjoying the snow was insane! You could tell it had been a while since NY had a lot of really good snow. My Tio Martin and I spent the afternoon inside relaxing and eating soup and the evening watching a French film, eating pizza and drinking Italian wine. (We are so worldly, I know, lol!)

Thursday morning I woke up with a bit of a wine headache, but toughed it out as I had a phone interview with a company I’m very interested in. It went really well and I should be hearing something about a formal interview sometime this week. I spent the rest of Thursday relaxing, going for a jog, taking the dogs for a walk, and reading a few chapters of Eat, Pray, Love (a book I’ve started reading a few times, but have never finished. I am determined to finish it this time!)

Friday was a beautiful day, the sun was out and the temperature warm. I of course went for a jog, it’s so easy to be motivated to run when it’s nice outside! Let’s hope I can stay motivated. To help, I downloaded lots of upbeat songs on iTunes. Let’s face it, running to slow sappy love songs doesn’t help ya pick up the pace. Thanks to the gift card Drea and George bought me, I was able to download lots of good “work out” songs. Also, Drea sent me “Empire State of Mind” via email, which is my favorite song right now (I’m sure you can guess why) and when I hear it, it pumps me up and I think I run a little faster, until it’s over that is, lol!

I spent Friday night at; you guessed it…Happy Hour! Like I mentioned before, Friday night Happy Hour is the norm in this city! It was nice to go 2 weeks consecutively. Every time I visit NY, I go to HH, but then my vacation is over and I leave. This time, I went 2 times in a row, which made everything a bit more real. Until that point, I still felt like I was on vacation. Not anymore, I’m starting to adapt and become used to the idea that this is going to be my home. Well, at least one of them. They always say Home is where the Heart is, and if that’s the case, my home will always be Kansas (or anywhere my family is, of course!)

As far as the rest of the weekend goes, I didn't do much on Saturday. We had a play date with the pups, rented 17 Again (only because it had Zac Effron in it), and made a chicken and mushroom pasta for dinner. The movie turned out to be totally cheesy, but cute and the pasta was delicious! Sunday was the dreaded Valentine's Day, but thanks to my dinner & a movie date with my Tio, it wasn't so bad. We are both single so we figured we should get out of the house together and enjoy the fake-holiday, lol. We saw the movie Valentine's Day which was really funny and actually made me feel better about being single for whatever reason (probably because I remembered just how difficult and how much work relationships really can be). After the movie we went to try out a little Italian restaurant near the apartment. It was yummy and we most definitely will eat there again soon, I'm sure!

Well, that's all for now. LOL, as if that wasn't TOO much to handle. Again, you know me...long stories can never be short, nor can short stories ever be short! ;)

Settling In

I’ve been here for about a week now and am settling in just fine. Side note: Don’t be fooled by the fact that my first blog post was Saturday. I wrote the post on my flight to NY which was Wednesday, but it took me a while to get the new blog up and running (Thanks Drea for helping me) so although I wrote it on Wednesday, I wasn’t able to post it until a couple days later.

Here’s a brief recap of my first week in NYC:

Wednesday – I arrived in NYC at about 7:30pm, got picked up from the airport, dropped my HEAVY bags off at the apartment, and went to dinner with my Tio Martin. We went to a Mexican restaurant down the street called Vamos! and it was delicious. We of course had celebratory/welcome to NY margaritas! ;)

Thursday – Because my Tio Martin is getting over a cold and wasn’t feeling so hot, we didn’t do much on Thursday. We slept in, ate brunch at the apartment (the yummy Mexican bread my abuela sent with me from KS) and I spent most of the afternoon job hunting while Tio Marty slept (He felt much better after he got some good sleep and is now well). Thursday night we made dinner and had a movie night. I know what you’re thinking, we MADE dinner? LOL, neither of us are chefs by any means, but contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers do cook and don’t ALWAYS order in or go out for dinner. Or at least some of them cook, it may be rare, but it happens. Another side note: Although I referred to “us” as New Yorkers, I don’t actually consider myself one…yet. Yes, I live in NY right now, but I am not a New Yorker for many reasons. I just don’t have that big city attitude (I'm a true friendly Midwesterner), although I might develop it eventually, who knows! My Tio on the other hand, is most definitely a NYer! (He admitted it wasn’t until he had lived in the city for a couple of years that he considered himself a true New Yorker). Just in case you were wondering, we ordered “500 Days of Summer” and “All About Steve” through TV OnDemand and both were entertaining (if you like comedies). I would recommend seeing 500 Days, it’s an unusual semi-romantic comedy that doesn’t fit the proto-type, which is why I liked it...Happy endings aren’t always realistic.

Friday – We spent Friday afternoon just hanging out at the apartment. I spent a lot of time applying for jobs online and then got ready to go out for Happy Hour. I’ve been to NY several times so I was well aware of the fact that Friday night Happy Hours are a MUST. We went to a bar in Chelsea (the same one I go to every time I visit) and then to eat at a Thai restaurant. It was my very first time eating Thai food and I loved it! So many people have told me that if you like Chinese food, then you’ll love Thai food, and they were right! It was delicious! One thing I love about NY is that it is so diverse and there is such a variety of everything, especially food. There is nothing you can’t get here and I’m excited to try new things! I’ll keep you updated on any new foods I try, not that I’m a food critic or anything, but I always find it interesting to hear about the things people eat because it’s always so different than what you are used to.

Saturday – Tio Marty had some errands to run on Saturday so I spent the day solo. I slept in (which considering I know it won’t last, has been so nice to do lately), applied for a few more jobs, watched “Sex and the City-the movie” because it was on TV, and then did a little bit of exercise/exploring. Even though it’s cold here (30s), I went for a jog around the neighborhood to 1, get some exercise and 2, explore the area. I know what you’re thinking, people jogging around the city are nuts. With all of the traffic and hustle and bustle of the city, I agree, people are crazy. I’d be scared to get ran over because let me tell you, people DON’T stop when you are in their way. You REALLY have to pay attention to “Walk” signs because if you don’t, you’re road kill. The neighborhood I live in is very unique in that it is an actual neighborhood (kind of like a campus) so I didn’t have to run in the streets, instead I get to run on windy paths, kind of like at a park. It's called Stuyvesant Town (aka Sty Town), located in the Lower East Side and is Manhattan's largest apartment community, an entire neighborhood unto itself set on over 61 landscaped acres. It's literally a "city within a city," the only one of its kind in NYC. The center of the "town" is called the Stuyvesant Oval and around the oval are different buildings such as a Lounge, a Study, a Fitness Center, a Film room, etc. It's like being in a park with a big fountain in the middle, windy paths to walk your dog, go for a jog (which I plan on doing a couple times a week), etc. There are playgrounds, basketball/volleyball/tennis courts and everything you can possibly think of. It’s the best of both worlds because it’s a really safe community with so much to do (Sty town has multiple events that take place monthly, like movie/game nights that allow you to friend your neighbors), but as soon as you step out of the community “gates” you are in the East Village with instant access to downtown. Here is a link to Sty Town: http://www.stuytown.com/#/events?gallery, check it out, it’s pretty awesome!

Sunday – For Superbowl Sunday we drove to Westchester County, about an hour outside of the city. My Tio Martin has friends, Wendy and Josh, who live out there and invited us to come eat and watch the game. Although I am not a huge fan of long drives, this one I did not mind. It gave me a chance to see more of New York. We drove along the Hudson River for a while and then upstate into the mountains. It was a scenic trip that I enjoyed. Upon arrival I met Wendy, Josh, and their 3 kids, Alex (4), Will and Jack (2-year-old twins). The twins took a while to warm up to me, but Alex clung to me instantly. Before I even sat down he said, “Wesa, you want to see my cars?” It was so cute, but a little sad because it reminded me of Jaxson. He calls me Wesa so I associate that name with him. I miss him and sweatpea (aka Audrina) so much. (Skype date with them this week for sure!) It ended up being a good game and although I didn’t win any money (I always enter a football pot, and never win, lol), I was very happy the Saints won. Who dat?! ;)

Monday – Once again, I slept in today (I am still adjusting so I think it will take me a while to get into a more regular sleep routine). My Tio Martin and I lounged a bit, ate, then got ready to "go to work." You see, he works in the antique art industry and buys and sells mostly Asian antiques so he doesn't have a typical 9-5 job. He is able to work from home a lot, but today he needed to go to Christie's Auction House (famous auction house in NYC, if you've ever seen The First Wives Club, you know the one I'm talking about) to preview an auction that starts tomorrow. I went with him 1, because it was something new to do and 2, because I wanted to learn a little more about Martin's job and his passion/expertise for art. It was actually a really neat and interesting experience. Ever since I took Art History in Spain and toured famous museums like the Prado, I really enjoy and appreciate art. After leaving Christie's we went to a small bakery near Rockefeller Center to grab a cappuccino, then jumped on the subway home. I was excited to purchase a metro card considering I've never bought one before (previously when I visited, my Tio Martin would just use his then pass it back to me so I could use is too). Now, we are at the apartment just relaxing and watching TV. And I of course am updating my blog. Hope you're enjoying it! ;)

Ok, so I know I said a brief recap of the past couple days, but you know me, when am I ever brief? LOL, I’m a talker, not to mention detail oriented so I like to describe every last detail. Overall, it has been a good first couple days in New York! Like I mentioned before, I have applied for some jobs and have already received 3 call backs. I have 2 interviews tomorrow and 1 phone interview on Wednesday. Wish me luck! I appreciate it and will keep you posted. XOXO!

New Year, New City

Because people really seemed to enjoy my Spain blog, I decided to start another one, only this time focusing on life post-graduating from college. This blog should be interesting considering my life is about to change. Not only did I recently graduate from KU, but I am moving to New York City to pursue new experiences. Actually, as we speak (or as I write, lol) I am on Midwest Flight 1584 to New York City, LGA (A 3-hour flight, what a perfect opportunity to write my first blog post). I am feeling so many emotions right now with the most prominent being sadness and excitement. On one hand I am very sad to move away from my family and on the other hand I am anxious to find out what New York has in store for me. Almost everyone who knows me knows how close my family is. My parents are my heroes, my sisters are my best friends, my brother-in-laws are literally the big brothers I never had, and my niece and nephew are the light in my life and the constant smile on my face, so you can imagine leaving them all behind is difficult. Most 22-year-olds spend their weekends out with their friends partying and while I do enjoy doing that from time to time, I spend most of my weekends hanging out with my family. Whether or not it’s going out to dinner, going to see a movie, doing a little gambling at the casino, or simply staying in and ordering Chinese food and playing games, we have so much fun together. Although many of our good times come from everyone making fun of me for the silly things I say/do, there isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t have great hearty laughs!

All this being said, you can imagine how much I love my family and moving away from them is no doubt difficult, but it’s something I am doing for me and I know they all understand and support me 100%. Plus, in the wise words of my oldest sister Kim, with modern day technology, it won’t even seem like we are miles apart. She is of course referring to the fact that we will have Skype dates (for those of you living under a rock, Skype is a way to chat with people via computer web cams). Skype is no doubt how I will survive living away from home. I plan on talking to my entire family at least once a week and I of course will track the growth of my niece and nephew (as well as my unborn niece or nephew, aka, Kim’s belly). Saying goodbye to Jaxson and Audrina last night was the first time I lost it and the tears came a rollin down. They are both so young and didn’t understand the fact that this goodbye was different than any other goodbye, but I’m confident that talking through Skype will allow them to get their “Aunt Wesa” fix and hopefully they never forget who I am (I know Drea and George would never let this happen).

So perhaps you are asking yourselves, if I am so close to my family why did I decide to move? It’s simple...I am young, single and free. I didn’t have anything keeping me in Kansas City and I realize that if I don’t try new things now while I can, I probably never will. I know that when I get a bit older, fall in love and settle down to raise a family, I will no doubt want to be near my family in Kansas, so now is really the only opportunity I have to be spontaneous and live wherever I want to live. Obviously choosing New York was a no brainer; I have visited 3 times and enjoyed it a little bit more each time and I have an uncle who lives here who is so graciously allowing me to stay with him. Plus, it’s New York City for goodness sake. What young person looking for new and exciting adventures wouldn’t want to live here!? Like my Tio Marty (who I’m living with) said…Everyone should live in the city at least once for a little while, you learn so much! I’m taking his advice, let the learning begin! :)

All tears have been wiped away (I’m not going to lie and pretend I made it through this entire post without shedding any tears) and the oh-so-famous fresh baked-on-board Midwest cookies have just arrived so it’s time for me to wrap up. Here is to the first of many posts!! :)